Thunk.
Emily, who had been holding an ice cream cone, suddenly dropped it, her face frozen in shock as if she had seen a ghost.
"Wh-why are you two...?" she stamred, pointing a trembling finger at us.
"Oh, look who it is—Mary Hydia and Ken Feinstein! Fancy eting you here," Adrian, who was standing beside Emily, greeted us with a bright smile, waving.
I glanced at Mary next to , curious about her reaction. After all, this was the Adrian she had feelings for in the ga, and here he was with Emily. While the event involving the two hadn't happened yet in the ga, surely she must have felt sothing seeing them together.
But when I looked at her expression...
'Huh?'
Mary was smiling, albeit faintly.
"Are you two enjoying the festival together?" Adrian asked, looking between the two of us.
Shifting my gaze back to Emily and Adrian, I noticed Emily was still stiff, her expression locked in place.
"Yes, we're having a good ti together. Ken suggested it," Mary responded for us, her hand still resting on my arm.
At that mont, Emily, whose hand had been trembling, opened her mouth.
"You two... why... why on earth...?"
Explaining everything would be a hassle—especially if I had to start with Siegfried’s story. There was too much to go into, so I figured I would brush it off.
But before I could respond—
"Indeed. Why?" Mary asked, looking at with a smile that seed a bit too playful.
"Hmm, now that's sothing I'd like to know as well. Is there sothing special between you two?" Adrian chid in, his expression one of genuine curiosity as he looked between us.
'Ugh... this is getting complicated.'
It seed Adrian had no particular interest in Mary, which was honestly a bit disappointing. The idea of being used as a source of amusent in front of Adrian didn’t sit well with , so I wanted to deny it.
But then, a thought crossed my mind.
‘Wait, isn't this a good chance to gauge their relationship?'
This could be a golden opportunity. After all, Adrian and Emily’s bond is a key tric in determining the path to the ga's ending. I couldn’t let this mont slip by.
I quickly adjusted my response.
“Well, I happened to get tickets to the swordsmanship tournant, so I invited Mary to join . I suppose that makes it special, doesn’t it?”
If asked whether it was special, I suppose it was. After all, Mary had always been a helpful companion to .
Hmm? Was it just , or was Mary gripping my arm a little tighter?
I turned my attention back to Adrian, sensing this was my chance.
“By the way, what about you two? I see you’re here together, which doesn’t seem like sothing re friends would do.”
Perfect—this wasn’t too bold, but it flowed naturally from the conversation.
I waited for Adrian’s response, hoping to read his thoughts on Emily.
“Well, Emily and I—"
"We’re just friends! Really close friends, that’s all!" Emily suddenly cut him off, yelling loudly.
“...As she says,” Adrian added, seeming a bit surprised.
Wait, if she answered for him, that kind of ruins the point...
"More importantly, what do you an by ‘special’? What exactly does that an? Explain yourself!" Emily demanded, stepping forward aggressively.
"Ken, it’s almost ti for the tournant to start," Mary interrupted, tugging on my arm as Emily began closing in.
“W-wait, Mary! You’re going to trip if you don’t slow down!” I protested, but Mary didn’t stop, pulling away quickly.
Emily, left behind, stood in place, watching us as we hurried off.
Led by Mary, we soon arrived at the tournant venue.
The swordsmanship competition was taking place in a coliseum-style arena in the city. I wasn’t sure why a coliseum existed within a city, but hey, it was part of the ga’s setting.
After handing over our tickets, we found a decent spot to sit.
“So, Ken, who are you here to cheer for?” Mary asked.
“There’s a third-year senior nad Siegfried who’s competing,” I replied.
“Oh, the one with the black hair?”
“You know him?”
“Yes, he doesn’t use any magic, but his performance in actual combat is remarkable. That’s why I rember him,” she said.
At the academy, many students were highly talented. For soone like Mary, who was at the top thanks to her magic skills, a non-magic user like Siegfried would indeed stand out.
However, Siegfried’s case wasn’t that he chose not to use magic—he simply couldn’t.
He lacked any magical aptitude, relying solely on his swordsmanship and physical combat skills, which were further boosted by strengthening abilities.
‘And yet, he’s still ranked in the top 10 of the third years. That’s a monster for you.’
Most students at the academy balanced swordsmanship with magical abilities, using their unique skills to create unpredictable fighting styles. For Siegfried to place so high using only his physical abilities was a testant to his strength.
“Oh, it’s starting,” Mary’s voice brought back to the present, and I focused on the match.
Siegfried gently ran his fingers over the handle of the sword I had crafted for him.
‘I wonder how much of a difference it’ll make...’
For Siegfried, this tournant was special. It was the first chance he had to prove sothing important to an old friend.
In the distance, he saw the stands where a girl with pink hair was waving at him.
"Go, Sieg~! You better win this!" she shouted, her face more anxious than his.
Her na was Elise Granbell, Siegfried’s childhood friend and soone he had vowed to protect—like a little sister.
"And no dinner if you lose!" she added with a teasing tone.
In so ways, she acted more like an older sister than a younger one. Siegfried chuckled to himself at the thought.
She was hot-tempered, a bit of a crybaby, and always sought him out when things didn’t go her way. But she was precious to him.
‘This tournant... I’ll win it, no matter what.’
His resolve strengthened, Siegfried’s eyes sharpened with determination.
‘Siegfried is strong as expected,’ Ken thought as he watched the match unfold with Mary beside him.
True to his reputation, Siegfried had won his first match quickly. His speed and power were like a bolt of black lightning.
In a tournant where magic and skills were freely used, Siegfried had completely closed the distance on his opponent, ignoring the fireballs that were hurled at him.
With a sound like thunder, the ground cracked beneath him, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of his opponent.
The only thing the crowd saw was a black sword slashing through the air, leaving behind a powerful shockwave.
Crash!
The opponent was sent flying into the arena’s outer wall, which shattered upon impact.
"...Terrifying," Ken muttered as he observed Siegfried’s calm yet intense expression.
That’s the future dragon-slaying Sword Saint in the making.
Ken felt a chill run down his spine as he witnessed Siegfried’s overwhelming strength.
"Winner: Siegfried Gardner!" the announcer declared as the opponent’s scarecrow-like dummy, which had absorbed the brunt of the impact, crumbled.
The arena erupted in cheers and applause.
‘It feels like a final, not a first match,’ Ken thought, marveling at the crowd’s reaction.
They were absolutely captivated by Siegfried’s power. He was, without a doubt, the center of attention.
“Hmm, so that’s how the matches are decided?” Mary asked, more intrigued by the broken dummy than by Siegfried’s victory.
“Injuries would be a problem, so they use magical dummies to take the hits instead,” I explained.
The tournant rules dictated that each fighter used a scarecrow-like dummy bound by a temporary contract. If a competitor was about to suffer a critical injury, the dummy would take the blow, and the match would end when one dummy was destroyed.
“At this level, Siegfried will probably win the whole tournant,” Mary remarked after watching the first match.
And Siegfried himself seed to agree.
‘I don’t think this sword will even be necessary,’ he thought, rubbing the handle of the black sword he had brought. Though he appreciated the craftsmanship, he figured he could have won even with a wooden practice sword.
However, Ken knew better.
‘This is exactly where the developers’ malicious design cos in...’
Siegfried was certainly strong—perhaps stronger than anyone in the arena. But even his strength could be overturned by one thing.
In the world of Epiris Academy, unique skills were the ultimate trump cards.
The unexpected happened during the final match.
The opponent was a rough-looking guy with spiky red hair, and the match took a sudden turn.
‘...Damn it.’
Siegfried’s body wouldn’t move.
‘Is it... impossible to break free?’
Technically, he could move his arm slightly, but his overall movents were sealed.
‘That guy’s unique skill...’
Siegfried’s gaze was fixed on his opponent, who appeared carefree and casual.
At the start of the match, the red-haired guy had charged at Siegfried. But Siegfried had easily dodged the initial strike with a slight tilt of his head. However, it had all been a trap.
The real attack ca from a hidden knife that grazed Siegfried’s skin ever so slightly.
‘A curse-type skill. Tearful Puppet.’
Ken recognized the strange doll in the man’s hand. The doll’s eyes were now sared with the blood that had been taken from Siegfried’s earlier injury.
“Keheheh! You’re done for, Siegfried! I’ve been waiting for this day for so long!” the red-haired man cackled, his voice filled with glee.
As Siegfried remained immobilized, his opponent jeered, seemingly overjoyed by the turn of events.
Siegfried, however, felt more confusion than sha.
"...Do I know you?" he asked, his calm voice cutting through the mocking laughter.
“Wha... What the hell?! You don’t rember ?!” The red-haired man’s expression twisted in rage.
“I’m the guy who’s been stuck at 11th place in the rankings because of you! I’m Kazhin, damn it! How could you not know ?!”
"..."
Siegfried stood there, watching the man’s furious outburst. After a pause, he responded.
"Sorry, I don’t rember you."
“YOU BASTARD!!” Kazhin scread, bending backward as he shrieked in frustration.
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